Find Me
by TailsTheFox1996
Summary: Epilepsy, the greatest challenge in Roxas' life. Abuse, the hardest thing Axel has had to go through thus far. But how do they stack up against falling in love? YAOI! AkuRoku with a side order of Zemyx, SoRiku, and SaiXem. Rated M for language and future lemons! R
1. Advice

**HOLY BANANA COW, you actually picked my story to read! I'm so honored! This story has tons and tons of fluff, angst, fluff, lemon, and fluff. A PLETHORA OF FLUFF :D**

**Each chapter is gonna have a song to represent it, so by the end of this story it's gonna a be a rather...unique playlist. For chapter one, I can think of no better song than '_Advice_' by Christina Grimmie. I found it appropriate to use one of her songs for Chapter One, considering the name 'Find Me' is based on her song...Find Me. Yeah... **

**Anyway, this story's POV will switch between characters. Usually it's Roxas and Axel (duh), but there will occasionally be some others. On that note, enjoy!**

* * *

**~xXx~ Roxas ~xXx~**

"Okay, Roxas, how many episodes have you had in the last week?" the doctor asks.

I lean my head back, groaning. Every time it's the same. Same questions, same doctor, same blech. Every damn time. "11," I answer dryly.

"11? That's more than usual," he says, stating the obvious. "Have you been taking the medicine?"

"Yes."

"Hmm…we may need to boost your dosage…" the doctor muses aloud. While he rambles to nobody in particular, I take a moment to look around. As much time as I spend in this hospital, I don't think I've ever been in this room. The baby blue walls are calming, the stark white cabinets attached to them giving a nice contrast. I like white. It's plain, it's contemporary, normal. Kind of how I wish I was.

"Got that, Roxas?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure," I reply as if I heard one word he's said in the last couple minutes. "Err…run it by me again? Just to make sure."

The doctor rolls his bulging eyes, and repeats his explanation on my new medication. Side effects may include shortness of breath, high blood pressure, light headedness, and possibly nausea. Gotta love seizure medicine. I take the note from the doctor to give to the pharmacist. I bow politely, and leave.

I've all but memorized the path to the exit of this hospital. It's weird, too, because all hospital hallways generally look the same (I've spent my fair share of time in hospitals). It's like they're _designed _to be confusing as hell. But with this one, I've been in here for six years. If I haven't memorized the place by now, there's a serious problem.

In fact, I've memorized it so well that I'm so lost in thought that I don't even notice the tall redhead slam into me until I'm on my back. My lower back cries out in pain, my eyes squeezed shut as I seethe.

"Geez, I'm so sorry!" the other man cries, also flat on his butt. He scrambles over to me, on his hands and knees as he leans over me. My eyes slowly flutter open, only to be greeted by two green orbs staring back at me. His eyebrows are angled up, clearly worried about me.

I can't manage to utter a single syllable as I'm lost in his worried eyes. Piercing green, but so soft. For a moment I feel like I could stare into them for hours without getting bored, but he speaks again.

"Are you okay, kid?" he chokes out. A single hand softly caresses my cheek as his face drifts closer, still trying to coax a response out of me. His face is hovering just inches away from mine, his hot breath dancing across my skin. The moment is perfect. Too perfect, some beautiful stranger so close to me. Then I realize something.

This guy is a stranger. I have no idea who the fuck he is, and he's _way _too close for comfort.

By reflex I smack his hand away, snapping my eyes shut and backing away from the redhead. My back presses against a wall, but I still can't bring myself to speak. I simply jerk my head to the side, trying to hide what is probably an _extremely _obvious blush.

"I guess that's a yes, then," the man half-laughs. "Sorry about that, kid."

"I—" I choke on my words. "I'm…not a kid…"

"What?"

"I said…I said I'm not a kid," I stutter. The man gets back up on his feet, taking a couple steps towards me. He outstretches his hand to me, an offer to help me up, but I'm still frozen in place. Why does being around this guy make me so nervous?

Oh yeah. It's because of his eyes. _God _they're so green.

"Then how old are you, Mr. Man?" he asks laughingly.

"Se-seventeen," I tell him.

The redhead's smile falters, his hand still outstretched. His other hand rubs the back of his head, his ridiculous red spikes bouncing from the motion. "Geez, didn't expect that. You look younger, you know that?"

I instinctively jut out my lower lip, pouting like the ten year old he probably thought I was. I know I'm short, I get enough of that crap at school. Jesus, I'm 17 and never had to shave.

"So what's your name?" the redhead questions, desperate to change the subject. I lose the pouty-face and take the man's hand, and he pulls me back to my feet.

"Roxas," I answer quickly. Axel mouths the name silently, smiling as he does.

"Roxas," he echoes. "That's a pretty badass name, you know that?"

"Uhh…thanks?" I say awkwardly. "So what's your name?"

"Axel." I smile at the sound of the redhead's name. He sounds like a rockstar.

"Axel," I echo, mimicking him. Axel smiles, his green eyes closing as he steps away from me.

"So why are you in the hospital, Roxas?" Axel inquires. "Not that isn't a great place to make friends."

"It totally _isn't _a great place to make friends, and I…" I pause. I mull over the possibility of future contact with Axel, and the embarrassment factor that comes with regular seizures. Epilepsy, you are a whore.

"Well?" Axel probes.

"It's…just a check-up," I tell him. Not a lie, but not the whole truth either. It was a check-up, but Axel will probably assume they're just checking my heart rate and stuff.

"Ah, sounds better than why I'm here," Axel laughs.

"Why _are _you here, anyway?"

"I think I broke my wrist or something when I was moving into my new house," he shrugs. He lifts up his right hand, and I force myself to hold back my gag reflex. His wrist is swollen to the size of a small water balloon, and oddly colored in some spots.

"Jesus Christ, ya think?!" I choke out. This is why _any _possibility of being a doctor had been pushed from my mind ages ago. Kind of…

Pain is all I'm aware of for a short while, mostly in my chest and head. My heart is hammering against my ribs, my brain against my skull. Everything burns.

Suddenly I feel my back pressed against something. I think it's the ground again, but my head is leaning forward without having to, so I assume it's a wall. I'm instantly aware of a thick layer of sweat on my skin, my clothes damp. My hair drops down and clings to my face, my forehead still beaded with sweat.

"Roxas, are you okay?" someone yells. My head is pounding, my thoughts are cloudy. Who is that? "Roxas?" the voice yells again. I try to match the voice to a face, coming up with nothing. My eyelids feel too heavy to open. Who is that?

"Who…"

"It's Axel. Nurse, somebody, anybody!" Axel yells. Roxas' eyes fly open, gasping for air.

"Axel…?" I pant. My lungs feel like holes have been poked in them, I can't keep a breath for more than a second. Axel looks back to me, his eyes returned to their worried state.

"Oh thank God," Axel pants, his head dropping down. "What the hell happened?"

It happened again. Right in front of Axel. I can't believe it…what even caused it? That came out of nowhere, no stress or anything.

"I'm fine, Axel," I lie. My head is pounding and my heart is racing, my body continuing to sweat despite the seizure having passed. "What…did I do?"

"I…" he stutters, trying to collect his thoughts. "We were talking. I asked you something, but then your eyelid started getting this weird twitch, and the next thing I knew, your arms were spazzing all over the place. I barely caught you before your legs gave out."

I bury my face in my hands. So it was _that _kind of seizure. The worst kind, when I completely lose control of my body. Sometimes I just twitch, but stay in place. Other times I space out entirely, my body frozen. When I come to, I never even remember that it happened. And then there's _these _seizures, where I convulse uncontrollably and they just have to let it pass.

**~xXx~ Axel ~xXx~**

"It was nothing," Roxas mumbles through his hands, still covering his face in what looks like shame. A complete and total bullshit lie, which I see plain as day.

"Nothing. So you seizing all over the place was nothing?" I raise an eyebrow, but soon after my mouth is slightly agape and my other eyebrow rises to meet the other. "Oh, you were actually—"

I meant that as joke, but the sight of tears leaking from between his fingers changes that. So he really was having a seizure?

"Roxas, it's fine," I try to comfort. Roxas shakes his head, his hands still glued to his face. I rub his back in slow circles as he cries it out. I can't help but wonder how I got roped into comforting some random epileptic after a rather violent seizure…only in Twilight Town.

This continues for several minutes, Roxas sobbing uncontrollably into his hands. I just keep doing what I'm doing, rubbing the small boy's back with my one good hand. I try to ignore the throbbing in my right wrist, which isn't too difficult given the distracting situation.

"I-I'm sor-ry about this, A-xel," Roxas chokes out, his hands never leaving his face. I take this opportunity to gently grab his trembling wrists (despite the ache in my right wrist), and slowly pull his hands away from his face. He struggles for a moment, but eventually lets me pull them back.

That's when I'm forced to snap my mouth closed to keep in the drool. It's obvious that Roxas isn't a pretty crier (but then, who is?). His eyes are red and puffy, and brimming with fresh tears. But the tears shimmer against his gorgeous blue irises so perfectly it sends my brain into a raging fit.

Before we go any further, yes, I am gay. I've dated guys before and it was awesome. But this…this is different. Roxas is by _far _the cutest guy I've ever seen. Not so much in the 'I want to rip your clothes off and have my way with you' kind of cute, but more in the 'I want to cuddle and protect you' kind of cute. Not just because he looks young, but just because he looks so…vulnerable. It's obvious he's really insecure about his seizures, or maybe he just hates when it happens in public. Maybe he's just in a lot of pain right now, I don't freakin' know. This isn't exactly my area of expertise.

"Roxas, are you hurting?" I ask him. He slowly shakes his head, another tear managing to snake its way down his already stained cheek. This one, though, I brush away with my thumb. "Are you okay?"

"What do you think?" he laughs half-heartedly, his voice shaking. "I should go, my sister is waiting for me."

"Let me walk you there," I suggest softly. Roxas shakes his head.

"No, I don't need you taking care of me." Roxas brushes swiftly past me, his tears still dripping off his hands.

"Well that was weird," I murmur aloud. I shake my head, trying to clear out any thoughts about the strange boy.

After all, when will I ever see him again?

**~xXx~ Roxas ~xXx~**

My tears stop when Axel's out of sight. I don't know why having this particular seizure upset me so much, but _wow _did it upset me. I just hated having to look like that in front of Axel.

Huh. Why _didn't _I want to look like that in front of Axel? It's not like I know him, he's some random guy I met in the hospital. Why am I so desperate to impress him?

I shake the thoughts from my mind as I see my sister in the lobby. She looks so different from me and Cloud, my adoptive father. She has dark black hair that hangs down in her face, while I have sandy-blond hair that spikes up. , but it's only coincidence that I look similar to Cloud. Xion is actually his and Mom's daughter. I was adopted because my birth parents wanted nothing to do with an epileptic. Then, one year ago, Tifa left for the same reason.

I'm on a roll.

"How'd it go, Roxas?" Xion asks happily, running up to me.

"It was okay. The doctor prescribed some new medicine to try and control the seizures," I shrug.

Xion is happy as always, but her smile falters when she looks into my eyes. I'd never even thought about it, but I can assume that they're red and puffy from the incident with Axel.

"Roxas, were you crying?" Xion asks bluntly.

"N-no…" Xion gives me that classic _you've got to be shitting me if you think I'm buying that _look. I sigh, and surrender. "I ran into some guy on the way back here. We talked for a second, and then I had a seizure."

"The bad kind?" Xion inquires. I nod.

"Yeah, and when I came to I just started crying. I'm not sure why, though," I explain. That last part was a lie, I know exactly why I was crying, but for no reasons I want to try and explain to Xion.

"You okay now?" I nod. "Okay, let's head home today. I think Dad is making burgers."

I smile, and follow Xion all the way back to my house. The strong smell of cooking meat drags a smile onto my face as I enter, Cloud's back turned to me as he works on the stove. Smoke is gathering around him, so I open a window to let it fade.

"Hey Roxas, how'd it go?" Cloud asks.

"Got some new medicine for you to pay for," I tease, waving the prescription in the air.

"You know you don't have to worry about that, Roxas," he laughs, continuing to cook the burgers. "Good insurance, it's no problem."

I smile. This is probably gonna sound weird, but…it's almost like Cloud is _happier _now that Tifa left. It was her that ordered the divorce, but he went along with it with no hesitation. The only real argument was over who got to keep Xion and I, but he won because he has a steady job. We're not even allowed to stay with Tifa at all until she has one. Not that I want to talk to her anymore.

But I'm still happy that I have Cloud, because Xion and I would be royally screwed without him. I suppose, even with Tifa gone, life at home could be a lot worse.

**~xXx~ Axel ~xXx~**

My life at home fucking sucks.

Here's what you missed; I went to the doctor, and I was right when I told Roxas that I broke my wrist. It's not too bad, but I do have to wear a cast for a month until it heals up. Lovely. At least I'm left-handed.

You probably took that the wrong way. Anyway…

I went back home, bolting to my bedroom to try and get some stuff ready for school tomorrow. I have the usual junk for your first day; notebooks, pens, binders, paper, all that jazz. I desperately checked and re-checked to make sure I have everything, but mostly to postpone when I have to go downstairs. That's when the…interesting part happens.

"Hey there, Axel," Dad greets as I step from the stairs. I put it off for as long as I could, but my stomach is rumbling and I have the sudden urge for pizza. I think we have some leftovers in the fridge…

Dad stumbles in front of the fridge, his stained white tank just barely managing to stretch over his enormous gut. His dark brown hair (eternally different from mine, though mine is dyed) is in a greasy mess atop his head, his unkempt mustache still decorated with bits of his last couple meals.

Ah, Dad. You're so gross.

"What do _you _need, Axel?" Dad slurs. Two beers in his left hand and one in his left, the single bottle already had its cap taken off and being emptied. It's almost funny how quickly Dad managed to dirty this house. We moved in last week, and already is the Living Room beginning to be overcome with the stench of farts, alcohol, old pizza, and general body odor.

"I'm hungry," I say flatly. Dad rolls his eyes, finishing off his first beer and trying to open his second on the countertop.

"I thought faggots ran on…faggosynthesis, or something? Fucking fairy…" he slurs again, clearly drunk.

"I think you mean photosynthesis, and no," I scoff. "And isn't it a little early to be drinking so much, fatass?"

Dad's previous face, his drunk one, turns serious. He still sways slightly, but watches me much more closely. "Don't call me that."

"Don't call me a fairy."

"I have a thyroid problem!"

"I don't think your thyroid is what's carrying three beers an hour back to the living room," I scoff.

That's what sent him over the edge, therefore sending his right hand across my cheek. I back against the counter, cupping my cheek in my hand as I seethe.

"Dad…" I growl. He swings his hand again, connecting with my other cheek with a large SMACK, both literally and in sound. I seethe again, trying to back away from my Dad.

"You're wor-worthl…" he stutters, the alcohol clearly affecting him. "Ah, screw it. You know what I mean."

And with that last, lovely word from Dad, he finally stumbles back into the living room with beers in hand. I grab an ice cube from the freezer and press it against my cheek, and slide a piece of cold pizza from the fridge. Normally I would take the time to heat it up, but right now I want nothing more than to get back to my room.

Back on my bed and slice of pizza half gone, I throw my head back as I yawn. It's been a long day. First I break my stupid wrist, then run into an _exceptionally _cute epileptic, and then I get smacked by my father because he's drunk off his ass.

Because _that's_ normal for an 18-year old boy.

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**Don't you like Axel's dad? xD Aw, I'm such an asshole to poor little Axel, but I love him nonetheless! And poor Roxy D: I just found such a cool angle on this kind of situation. In any case, there is a plethora of angst and fluff in their future, so I hope you keep reading! I LOVE MY REVIEWERS**

**AND PLEASE REVIEW! My reviewers get hugs from walruses. If it's a nice review, that walrus will be wearing a tuxedo and top hat. Just so you know.**

**Note: Christina Grimmie, if you are (for whatever reason) reading this, I want you to know that you are my favorite person ever. I am a gay man, and would marry you anyway because you are such a BEAST!**

**...and if you happen to be a yaoi fangirl, that just makes you that much more awesome :D**


	2. Just a Kiss?

**Yet another update :D I chose to update this story before I update my other ones, simply because this one is new and I want a couple chapters up so people start paying attention to it.**

**The song for Chapter 2 is '_Just a Kiss_' by Lady Antebellum.**

**So, without further ado, enjoy Chapter Two of my AkuRoku goodness!**

**~xXx~ Roxas ~xXx~**

I'm awoken with pain in my right arm and a dent in my wall. Lovely.

It isn't uncommon, though, my seizures come often at night. Mostly the twitchy-but-not-violent ones, but seizures nonetheless. And _ow _my arm hurts!

I crawl out of bed, a layer of sweat on my cool skin apparent. I half-sleep through my shower and walk off to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Hey Roxas," Xion greets. I groan absent-mindedly as I take my seat at the table. Xion only beams at me, her smile never faltering. Why? Why am I doomed to a foster family of morning people?

I pour a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles and milk, and have to restrain myself enough to remember to use my spoon. _God _I am hungry.

"So I heard we have a new guy at school starting today," Xion says through a mouthful of Poptarts. She's a morning person, I never said she had manners.

"Oh, really?" I mumble uninterestedly. We get new kids all the time, what's the big deal about this one?

"Yeah…what was his name again?" Xion muses, gulping down the last of her breakfast. "Alex…no, it was Axel."

I swallow nervously, consequently choking myself on my cereal. It couldn't be…no, it couldn't be _that _Axel. Just a coincidence. The guy at the hospital looked way too old to be in high school. Or maybe it really was Alex and Xion messed the name up. Just a coincidence.

"You…know what he looks like?" I cough.

"Yeah, I saw a picture of him in the office yesterday. Huge red spiked hair, hard to forget. I think he had tattoos or something under his eyes."

Crap crap crap crap CRAP.

"You okay, Roxas? I think you're sweating," Xion giggles. "Why? Do you know him?"

"I'm gonna head to school early," I say quickly. I shovel down one last bite of cereal before grabbing my backpack and running out the door.

Why me?

**~xXx~ Axel ~xXx~**

"Alright, here we go," I speak aloud. I open the front door to my new school, palms sweating ever so slightly. Well, I know one palm is sweating. I think my right hand is sweating under the cast, but it's so hot in there I can never tell.

The glass door swings in silently, my footsteps filling the void as I enter. A few heads turn to me, and then gesture for their friends to look. I guess I _am _something to behold.

Uhh…that made me sound conceded. I meant that the gigantic red spikes and facial tattoos aren't exactly ordinary. So…yeah.

"_Whoa, who's the freak_?" some grumbles from the crowd. I smirk at that, sending a wink their way. Don't even know who it was, nor do I care. I live for those 'what the crap' faces.

"He sure likes to put on a show, doesn't he?" someone says outright, making no attempt to hide it. I turn to see who said that, seeing a table filled with people and more standing around it. One locks eyes with me, and I instantly know that he's the one who spoke. His blue hair is draped over the front of his shoulders, his hair spiked up behind him.

"You have blue hair, I fail to see the difference," I snap smugly in return.

"I'm not making a big deal of it," the guy scoffs. "Unlike you, who just eats the attention up."

"How am I making a big deal? I just walked inside."

"You _strutted _in like you were on a catwalk," another grumbles. I turn to see this one, seeing a _really _short guy with slate blue hair. A book is laid out before him, but it seems he's pulled himself away for long enough to insult me.

"Oh, you could see over the table to know that, Zexion?" another scoffs, his thick British accent apparent. A headful of platinum blond hair shakes as he defends me. "Leave the guy alone, he didn't do anything wrong."

"Hey guys—" someone says. His sentence stops halfway through, which is odd. I turn to see the speaker, and my frown instantly flips over.

Well well, if it isn't Roxas.

"Hey, Roxas right?" I ask as if I didn't already know.

"H-hey, Axel," Roxas blushes, turning his head to face the people at the table.

"You know this guy, Roxas?" the short guy asks. Roxas nods silently. "Well? So who is he?"

"I'm Axel," I interject when Roxas hesitates. "Got it memorized?"

"How do you know Roxas?" another guy asks. This guy has black and grey hair, scars on his face and an _eye patch_! Why? What teenager has that many scars, grey hair, and an EYE PATCH?

"I…ran into him at the hospital," Roxas explains. "I was spacing out and we ran into each other."

The eye patch turns to me. "Why were you at the hospital?"

"Hello…?" I hold up my right arm, revealing the cast. "Broken wrist."

"You broke his wrist, Roxas?" the blue-haired guy asks.

"No! He was at the hospital _because_ he broke his wrist!" Roxas defends.

I nod happily. I ruffle Roxas' spikes a little just to irritate him, forcing all of his friends to roll their eyes. Roxas introduces me to Saix, Xigbar, Luxord, Zexion, Demyx, Larxene, Marluxia, Vexen, Xemnas, Xaldin, and Lexaeus. Enough X's?

Oh yeah, Axel. My name fits as well.

Xaldin, Demyx, Lexaeus, Marluxia, Roxas and I all stand around the table which is filled with the rest of them. Honestly, the nerve of these people. Who doesn't design a table for thirteen?

"So where are you from, Axel?" Vexen inquires.

"Hollow Bastion, I just moved here with my Dad a couple weeks ago."

"Why didn't you start school until now?" asks Zexion.

"Are you kidding?" I laugh. "I milked the whole 'still getting settled' thing for as long as I could."

A few of them laugh, with the exception of Vexen, Xemnas, and Zexion (who I assume never laugh). Then, Roxas speaks up.

"So what did I miss yesterday?" he asks.

"Why weren't you in school, young man?" I tease, taking an obnoxiously professional tone. "Were you doing those drugs?"

"No…" Roxas grumbles. "I was at the Hospital with you."

My smile falters pretty quickly after that. "Oh, right…"

"Happened again, Roxas?" Zexion offers.

"What makes you think that?"

"Just a guess," the slate haired boy shrugs. "The way you and Axel got so awkward after that, I assumed there was some kind of incident."

Roxas drops his head, ashamed. His voice is quiet when he speaks back up. "Yeah, it did. One of the bad ones."

"Scared me half to death," I tell them. "I had no idea about his condition, I thought he was gonna die."

That killed the mood faster than I'd expected it to. We're all relatively silent for the rest of the morning, except for Larxene and Marluxia who chatter on like monkeys. When the bell rings, we all stand to go to class.

"Hey Rox, what's your first class?" I ask him.

"Chem. You?"

I grin. "Chem."

**~xXx~ Roxas ~xXx~**

I hate my life.

Saix already hates Axel, and Zexion finds him all-around annoying. The rest are just impartial, but come on! How do you make two people not like you in fifteen minutes?

And _why_ did he affiliate himself with me?

Axel follows me to Chemistry like a lost puppy. His books locked under his arm, chin held high as his spikes brush against the rather low ceilings. People all give him a rather wide distance in the hallway, probably to avoid being stabbed by the spikes. But, oddly enough, people seem more interested in me.

"_Ew, why is that guy following _Roxas _around?_" a girl grumbles to her friends. They all giggle as they pass us, my anger ever-growing.

"Axel, please stop following me," I growl.

"Why not follow you, Rox? We go to the same class, and I don't know where it is," Axel smiles. "In fact, I hereby proclaim you my official tour guide!"

"I hate you."

"I know," he grins. And just like that, my request is dismissed and Axel continues his clinging. If he wants to hang out with me, I'm gonna have to demand he dye his hair black and shrink ten inches. I do _not _need this kind of attention.

I get enough of it as is.

"Okay, class, please welcome Axel to the class…" the teacher drones from her desk. Our Chemistry is by far the most boring woman on Earth. We often call her Mrs. Jigglypuff behind her back for that very reason.

(that's right, Pokemon has made an appearance. Deal widdit)

"Hey everyone," Axel says halfheartedly, his eyes never leaving me. I tug on my sleeve nervously as I take a seat next to Vexen in the back. Axel grabs the nearest available seat, dangerously close to Mrs. Jigglypuff's desk.

"Okay, turn to page 362…"

And just like that, Axel is asleep.

"Pretty weird guy, huh Roxas?" Vexen asks. I roll my eyes because (for once) I'm actually trying to pay attention to class.

"Just because you don't have to pay attention doesn't mean I don't have to," I tease. "We can't all be science geniuses, Vexen."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Vexen chuckles. "So what do you think about him?"

I hesitate to answer. In truth, forming an opinion of Axel has been difficult. One minute he's obnoxious and funny, and the next he's all sweet and comforting. Then he's obnoxious again and making my friends hate him.

"I'm not quite sure," I tell him. "I mean, he's cool and all, but I'm not quite sure what to make of him."

"The others feel the same," Vexen shrugs. "I think Demyx is the only one who actually likes him."

"Not surprising."

"Agreed," Vexen laughs. "So do you like him?"

"I-I guess, he seems alright."

"No, Roxas…" Vexen pries. "Do you _like _him?"

"W-what?!" I cry, my face beginning to heat up. Mrs. Jigglypuff shoots me an angry glance, but quickly resumes her speech about the importance of water or something. It's kind of heard to hear over Axel's snoring. "Why would you think I like him?"

Vexen shrugs. "Just a feeling I had. The way he looks at you, I can already tell he likes you. Like, a _lot_. I—can guess you don't return those feelings?"

"I…" I stammer. "I've known him for a day, how could I already like him?"

Vexen is one of the only ones that knows my secret. Demyx and the others know, too, of course, but that's only a few people in my life that know my _biggest _secret. Granted, I soon figured out that most of them share the same secret, but I digress.

"I guess you don't believe in love at first sight," Vexen teases. "That's how it was for Marluxia and me. Why should you and Axel be any different?"

I scoff at Vexen and face the front of the class, set on ignoring him for as long as I can. The idea that I would like Axel is ridiculous! Twenty-four hours is not long enough for someone to develop romantic feelings, especially towards Axel, who is so…Axel.

Is twenty-four hours enough?

I decide not to think about it as the day goes on. I have two classes with Axel, Chemistry and History. The teacher had me running errands for him (easiest teacher EVER), so I barely had to look at Axel. But, when the day ended, I decide to gather up my courage and talk to him about it.

"Hey, Axel..." I start. Axel turns back to face me, his lips, parting in his usual cocky smirk.

"Hey Roxy, what's up?" he teases, ruffling my hair with one hand. I brush my hair back up to its original position before continuing.

"Um, nothing much," I lie. I tug on the end of my sleeve nervously, trying to find a way to explain this without creeping him out. Odds are, Axel isn't even... you know.

"Don't lie to me Rox, what's going on?" he grins.

"It's, uh, something Vexen said in Chemistry today," I explain slowly. "He said that you, uh..."

"Ohh, that's what this is about," Axel smirks.

His breath is hot against my skin as he leans in close to me. His green orbs lock onto me, his bright red spikes defining his delicate features. My face heats up furiously as he leans even closer, his soft looking lips only centimeters from my own. All I feel is that I want to lean in and kiss the man, to feel his tongue dance with mine in a fashion that makes my heart throb.

But...he beats me to it. Axel leans in quickly, our lips colliding. But, unlike my expectations, his tongue stays in its own territory and leaves mine alone. This kiss is innocent, but I feel Axel pour all of his emotion into it. Soon after I kiss back, surprising Axel as he smiles into the kiss.

Too soon he pulls away, turns around and leaves with nothing more than a mock salute. No more words, just unanswered questions. My fingers drift up to my lips, tracing over the skin where Axel's warmth had so recently blessed with its presence. I feel myself blushing at the mere memory, or maybe the blush from before has just yet to fade. I don't know, and I don't really care.

All I care about is that Axel just kissed me, and I don't regret it.

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**And there it is :D I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter, it's awfully filler-ish except for the ending. Let me know what you think! As before, reviewers get hugs from walruses. If you're nice, or at least reasonable, gets a hug from a walrus wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. Sound good? Then review :D**


	3. Dirty Little Secret

**Oh, God, were do I start? Probably with _I am so sorry_! Life decided to swing a sledgehammer at me these past couple months and I haven't been able to do ANY WRITING AT ALL GAHHHH! And even if I had been able to, no inspiration has been my way since then. But I am determined (SO DAMN DETERMINED) to get back into my writing, and actually finish a story for once!**

**This chapter's song is Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects. I know the secret isn't all that dirty, but the song just kicks so much ass...**

**Anyway, enjoy my LATE chapter!**

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**~xXx~ Roxas ~xXx~**

My entire walk home consisted of muffled mumbles behind my hand, still clamped over my lips. Said lips are still warm from Axel.

Axel. I still find myself trying to figure the man out. He's so obviously…Axel that he's hard to explain. Everybody seems to hate him so far, but he just follows me around without a care in the world. Stubborn as a…no, he makes mules look damn compliant.

"What a mess," I mumble aloud as I approach my front door. Inside, Xion has somehow beat me home and is seated at the kitchen table flipping through a novel (she's scarily starting to remind me of Zexion). I take my seat afar from her, my eyes downcast at the table. She looks up over her glasses (which she refuses to wear in public for some reason) to meet my eyes, but I keep mine down as I think.

We sit there for a while, silent. Xion abandons her book to watch me, trying to figure out what's wrong. I get the feeling that if I were to look her in the eye she'd inquire further, so I decide to stare holes in the table just as she's doing to me. While I stare, I decide to work on just what I'm going to say to Axel tomorrow.

This continues for about an hour, and I think I'm close to coming to a resolution when…

"You alright, Rox?" Xion inquires, shattering the silence I'd been enjoying with a hammer.

"Fine," I lie. Xion is no fool, the girl can read me like the book in front of her. She gives me her famous '_you've got to be shitting me if you think I'm buying that_' look that she really needs patented, and rests her chin on her left hand.

"Roxas, you know you're a terrible liar, right?" she half-laughs. I roll my eyes, scoffing slightly as Xion watches silently. We're silent for a couple minutes before I ask her a question.

"Xion, what do you think of Axel?"

"Axel?" she inquires, cocking her head to the side slightly. "Dunno, I don't have any classes with him. He's alright, I guess. He certainly seems to like you, he barely looked at anyone else all day."

"Really?" I ask, a twinge of hope forcing itself into my voice. I don't know why that made me happy, just hours ago I was ready to punch his head off for following me like he did, but after what happened…

"That makes you happy?" she teases, setting her glasses down next to her book. "What's up with you, Roxas? I know you're weird but now you're starting to worry me."

"It's…I don't even understand it myself," I admit shakily. I look down to see my hands trembling mindlessly, so I set them under my legs to hide it. "Axel's just so…different."

"The hair probably makes up for a lot of that."

"Yeah," I laugh. Remembering those huge red spikes makes me laugh, but something about them just seems so familiar. Just one day…well, two if you count the incident at the hospital, and already he seems like a childhood friend.

"Did something happen between you two, Roxas?" Xion inquires. A knowing grin slyly creeps onto her face, as if she already knows about the kiss.

"I…yeah, but…"

"What did he do?" Xion asks slowly, urking me ever further.

"He…kissed me," I admit shakily. I expect a dropped jaw, maybe even a gasp, but instead I'm faced with…

Laughter.

"Xion, why are you laughing? This is serious!" I plead. Her eyes brimming with tears as she doubles over, her face planted firmly on the table.

"I-I just-I can't…HAHA!" she squeals.

My anger seems to reach a boiling point as I stand abruptly, my chair tipping over and slamming on the ground. "Xion, stop laughing! I don't know what I should do!"

Xion takes another moment to get her giggles under control, trying her very hardest to be serious. "Sorry, Rox, it's just funny. I mean, I've never heard of someone kicking down the closet door so abruptly."

"W-What?!" I cry, my heart caught in my throat and my stomach in my feet. I slam my jaw shut just to make sure I don't cough out my still-beating heart.

"Oh sweetie, you're not exactly the manliest guy in school," Xion teases, giggling slightly.

I can't believe it. She knows, or at least assumes. Nobody knows but the guys (as well as Larxene…and Marluxia) at school! How could she…?

"So who knows besides me?" she asks. She seems pretty sure of herself…

I lift my gaze from the table, hesitantly locking gazes with my sister. Her eyes, warm and knowing, seem to look past my surprised face and into my deepest thoughts and secrets.

"You really…you really know?" I ask slowly, my voice cracking halfway through. Xion's smile widens slightly, and nods.

"So who did you tell before me?" she asks.

"How do you know I told anyone else?" I question.

"I'll tell you after you tell me who you told," she teases. Biting my lip, I nervously continue.

"Demyx and the others all know," I say. "And, apparently, you."

"So you were searching because of _Demyx_," she muses, leaning back in her chair.

"Searching? What do you mean?"

Xion smirks (a face that doesn't really suit her), her arms folding across her chest. "What did you do the night before you told Demyx? Do you remember?"

I think back to the day I told Demyx. I remember sweating bullets, hoping to God (or Allah, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whatever) that he wouldn't hate me for it. I remember that I'd prepared well.

"I was searching how to come out without people hating you," I admit shakily. Xion simply nods.

"That was around the time my laptop was broken, remember?" Xion says. I don't remember that exactly, but I remember that when she broke her laptop I was letting her use mine when I wasn't home. I came to a sudden realization.

"I let you use it…and you _checked my search history?!_" I yell, slamming my hands on the table and jumping to my feet.

Xion laughs again. "I didn't have to. You just closed your laptop and left the pages up."

I freeze at the realization. _How could I be so stupid? That's a stupid mistake, I should have at LEAST closed the pages before I shut the stupid laptop!_

"Xion…that was a year ago," I nod. "You've known…for an entire year…and never told me?"

Xion shrugs. "I was waiting for you to tell me. You'd tell me when you're ready."

"I'm not ready now, but…" I pause. "It's kind of like being _dragged _out, you know?"

Xion giggles again, hiding her mouth behind her hand. I remain standing, my hands shaking as tears threaten to spill out. _She's known, and she's still so accepting…_

"Dad knows too, you know," Xion blurts out.

Lolwut?

I freeze. I have no reaction, not like when I found out about Xion. My entire body is numb, my veins pumped with lead. I fall back into my seat, mouth slightly agape.

"He doesn't mind," Xion adds hopefully. "He was really surprised at first, but he doesn't mind that you're gay."

I don't respond, my mouth is totally devoid of moisture even if I wanted to. My eyes are locked on Xion, open but unseeing.

"You…told him?" I choke out. My mouth feels like I've been gargling sand.

"It kind of slipped out about a month ago," Xion admits sheepishly, her face heating up ever so slightly.

"What did he say?" I ask, pausing slightly. "When you told him, I mean."

Xion smiles again. "He didn't really believe me at first, but he kept prodding at it like he was going along with the joke. It was a good couple days before he realized I was serious."

"And then what?"

"Honestly, at first, he was just in shock," Xion says in a monotone, her eyes locked on the table. "He didn't seem to be expecting it at all. He just…froze. But he snapped out of it pretty quickly, and he doesn't care."

The tension in the room is thick as silence reigns. My mind floods with emotions; relief, doubt, happiness and worry, swirling around my skull like a pissed off tornado. We sit there in silence for a few minutes until Xion stalks off to the kitchen for a glass of water.

"You know, Roxas," Xion begins, calling out to me from the kitchen. "you should tell Dad about this when he gets home."

I sigh, forcing myself up from the table and meeting my sister in the kitchen. I lean against the arch in the entry, nodding sadly.

"Yeah, I know I should," I admit. "I just…can't."

"Why not?"

"What will he say? He tells you he doesn't care, but what if—"

"Stop being a baby! He-does-not-care!" Xion says slowly, grabbing my shoulder gently with one hand. The front door to our home swings open quickly, the rustling of grocery bags appearing at the entry.

"Hey guys, I'm home!" Cloud calls. Slamming the door behind him with his foot, grinning as he enters the kitchen. He drops the groceries on the counter lazily, and smiles as he turns back around. "Hey guys, why the long faces?"

Xion takes up a devious smile, and I fear the worst.

"Roxas here got his first _kiss _today!" she sings. I shoot the angriest glare I can at her before turning back to Cloud, who is still grinning.

"Really? What's her name, Rox?" he asks happily, turning back around to start emptying the bags. I cringe at the word _her_, knowing full well that he knows about me. "Was it that Larxene girl?"

Xion shakes her head. "Nope, it's a new kid!"

"New, huh?" Cloud smiles knowingly, turning to lock gazes with me. "And the name of the mysterious new kid is…?"

"…"

"Come on, Rox, you've gotta tell me his name," Cloud says. Cloud's eyes widen as he slips up and used 'his' instead of 'her'. I break down in tears.

"You've known…you have *sob* known for so long…" I cry into my hands, Xion dropping a heavy hand on top of my head. I look up at her through the cracks of my fingers, but she only rolls her eyes.

"You're gay, Roxas, but you don't have to be a drama queen," my sister teases. I look over to Dad, who smiles as well. He opens his arms for a hug, which I all but fall into. I lock my hands around his back, hugging him as close as I can and not inclined to let go any time soon.

"You'd better calm yourself down, Rox, or you're gonna give yourself a seizure," Cloud teases. I smile, punching him in the shoulder slowly and pulling away from the hug. "So, who's hungry?"

**~xXx~ Axel ~xXx~**

I can't hold back my smirk as I lay back in my bed, the bass from my stereo making my brain bounce. I actually did that, and he _didn't stop me_. I'm honestly surprised he didn't taze the shit out of me right there.

I turn my head to the door of my room because I thought I heard Dad yelling. I flip off the music for a second, waiting for him to yell again.

"_AXELLL!_" he yells. Not angrily, though. I've found this to be his _I need you to get me something because I'm too fat to get off my ass_ yell.

"What do you want, fatass?!" I yell back.

"_DOORBELL!_"

Called it. Fucking called it.

I close the door to my room quietly and walk to the front door, knowing it's easier to just do what he says than get slapped later. I open the door (completely forgetting to use the little peep-hole) to find a short brunette with huge brown spikes. His red T-shirt is loose on his skinny body, a gold crown necklace dangling around his…well, neck.

"Crap, you can't be him," the boy scoffs, turning around.

"Nice to meet you, too," I reply. "What you need, kid?"

He turns to me, his eyes downcast. "Don't call me a kid, I hate when people do that…"

_Why does that sound so familiar?_

"Fine then, Mr. Man. What do you need?"

"I think I'd prefer kid…" he groans. "Anyway, I was just looking for someone but I don't think he lives here. Sorry to bother you."

"What's his name? I'm new in town, but I might have met him at school today," I shrug, leaning against the doorframe lazily.

"It's…Roxas. I don't know what his last name is, but his name is Roxas," he tells me. My eyes widen a little bit at the statement, wondering why this guy is looking for Roxas.

"Yeah, I know Roxas," I tell him. The brunet perks up unbelievable quickly, fisting the front of my shirt as tightly as he can. He looks up at me hopefully.

"Where does he live? Do you know?!" he pleads, all but begging for answers.

"Sorry. Like I said, I'm new in town," I admit. The shorter boy deflates almost instantly, turning away hopelessly.

"That's alright. Thanks anyway," he shrugs.

"Do you have a place to stay?" I offer. He looks back around, shaking his head slowly. "I hang out with him at school, I can introduce you to him first thing in the morning. You can stay here if you want."

Almost instantly his arms are thrown around my waist and he's groveling at my feet, thanking me in several different languages. I manage to pry him off just before leading him inside, where Dad has disappeared somewhere and giving us free passage up to my room.

"By the way, why are you looking for Roxas?" I inquire.

"Oh, that. I'm Sora, his twin brother."

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**:DDD -is my only comment. Please review! Reviews make me want to write soooo much more!**


	4. B-e-a-utiful

**HA! Now does Tails deliver, or does Tails deliver? TWO chapters in only a couple days? You know, I spoil you all.**

**Enough of my nepotism, this chapter's song is 'B-e-a-utiful by Megan Nicole. She's a YouTube star, you should totally check her out if you've never heard of her. I think you just might find this song quite fitting for this chapter. On that note, begin!**

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**~xXx~ Axel ~xXx~**

"Did you say…twin brother?" I gape. Sora nods slowly, smiling weakly.

"I only recently found out that Roxas even existed," Sora admits. "My parents, our parents, had every intention of making sure I never knew about Roxas. They let it slip a couple weeks ago, and ever since then I've been on my way here. Once I pried out where his foster family lives, of course."

"So you're…twins?" I ask, still half-way believing this whole story.

Sora nods happily. "Are we identical? I never got that out of my parents."

Axel shakes his head. "Close, but not identical. Roxas' hair is blond and curves upwards, while yours just spikes straight out."

"Ah," Sora muses aloud, still smiling. "Do you have a picture of him?" I shake my head. "Oh well, that's okay. I can't believe I'm finally going to meet him tomorrow…"

Sora is silent for a while, filling the air with awkward tension. "Hey Sora, you play videogames?"

"That depends. Do you have Assassin's Creed?"

Oh, we are going to get along _famously_.

**~xXx~ Roxas ~xXx~**

I groan aloud as the school comes into sight, not wanting to be here at all today. A seizure woke me up at four in the morning and I couldn't fall back asleep, so my eyes are dark and baggy with exhaustion.

"Hey, Roxas!" Demyx calls. I turn to see my best friend throwing his arms around me in a bone crushing hug, acting as if we haven't seen each other in years when it was, in fact, yesterday.

"Dem, mind getting off?" I growl in the nicest tone possible. "I'm in a really, _really _bad mood."

"No problem. Oh, by the way, that guy Axel is looking for you. He said it's important," Demyx grins. Before I can question further, Demyx sprints away to meet up with Zexion.

Axel. I've been dreading this all morning, though it's inevitable. I don't want to talk to Axel yet, not until I sort out my feelings after everything that happened. I'm still in shock at the warm feeling that engulfed me after his lips…

Gah, what the hell am I thinking? This is _Axel_, I've known him for two days!

"Hey Ro~xy!" Axel calls from behind, forcing a groan from me.

"I thought I told you not to call me that, Axel," I tell him. I turn to face him, only to see him dragging along a boy about my height by the wrist. The boy watches me wide-eyed, as if expecting a firecracker to go off at any moment. "Uhh…can I help you?"

"R-Roxas?" the boy chokes out. Breaking Axel's grip, the brunet approaches me slowly, carefully. I raise an eyebrow at Axel, who simply smiles.

"Do…I know you?" I question, now taking a step back in sheer confusion. The closer he gets, I can't help but feel a certain familiarity with the stranger.

"March 28…does that date mean anything to you?" the brunet questions.

"That's my birthday. How did you know that?" I ask the boy. He smiles weakly, stopping his approach.

"Ventus and Aqua. What do those names mean to you?"

I cringe at the sound. "My birth parents. I don't know what you know about me, but I suggest you back the _fuck_ off before I—"

Axel interjects, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Roxy, don't you recognize your own brother?"

W-What?

"I…have a brother?"

"A twin," the brunet grins. "March 28, 1997, Aqua gave birth to two baby boys. Sora," he gestures to himself, and then to me. "and Roxas."

My jaw drops to about shoulder-level. Sora, as he called himself, wraps his arms quickly around my waist and tucks his head into the crook of my neck in the closest hug he can manage. I return the hug, still trying to comprehend that my brother, my _twin biological _brother, is hugging me right now. I always thought I was an only child, tossed aside by two awful parents.

"You're…real," Sora concludes, smiling into my shoulder. I pull him closer, smiling and hugging him tightly.

"Axel, how did you…?" I start.

"He was looking for you last night and stumbled to my place. I figured I could introduce you two in the morning since I didn't know where you lived," Axel shrugs. "Surprised?"

"Immensely," I breathe, finally releasing my twin. I never let go of Sora's hand, though, and tug on it longingly. "Come on, we are _not _sticking around school when I just found out I have a twin."

"Well well, Roxy has a dangerous side," Axel teases. "Never knew you had it in you."

"I've known you for, like, two days," I reply curtly, betrayed by my own smile. "Anyway, I want to introduce you to Cloud and Xion."

"Xion's in school, bro," Axel muses. "Want me to go get her for ya?"

"Definitely," I grin. "Come on, Sora, I'll show you my house."

Sora and I all but sprint all the way home, giggling like children the whole way. When we finally arrive at my front door, I don't hesitate to swing it open.

"Roxas?" Cloud questions. "You're supposed to be in school, what are you—"

"Cloud, you will _never _guess who this is," I grin. Cloud stands from the couch, leaning over to stand eye-to-eye with the much shorter Sora.

"Hmm…" Cloud thinks, scratching his chin slowly. "Nope, not a clue."

"This is, and I promise I am _not _shitting you, my brother. My _twin _brother," I tell him. Cloud's eyes widen, looking from me to Sora, and then back to me.

"Are you serious?" Cloud gasps. I nod quickly, Sora doing the same. Cloud laughs out loud, amazed. "Holy crap, that's insane!"

Sora relays the story to Cloud of everything that happened, me chiming in at times at the parts where he left out a detail. Immediately after we finish the story, the door swings open to reveal Axel leading Xion by the wrist.

"Axel, what the hell are you—who's that?" Xion asks, gesturing to Sora.

"Roxas' twin brother," Cloud says. Xion raises an eyebrow at her father, who raises his hands up jokingly. "I swear, I'm serious!"

We all laugh, and give Xion an abbreviated version of the story out of laziness. Axel simply leans against the wall silently, smiling softly the whole time.

"We've got to celebrate," Cloud concludes, grabbing his keys off the countertop. "We're all going to Outback, how's that sound!"

Cheers ring out around the room, except for Axel who stays silent. We all gather our shoes and coats, only to turn around to see Axel gone. I bolt out the door, looking down each sidewalk to find him. Sure enough, headed towards the school, a head full of bright red spikes is bouncing down the sidewalk.

"Axel, wait!" I call, my white coat flapping behind me as I chase Axel down. He turns his head to me, spikes swaying as he stops his walk.

"You should go, they're waiting for you," Axel smiles weakly, something clearly on his mind.

"If it weren't for you, Sora might not have found me," I choke out. "You let him stay at your house, and I need to thank you for that."

A gust of wind ruffles my spikes, blowing them into my eyes. I brush them aside with the tips of my fingers, looking up hopefully at the redhead.

"Axel, about yesterday…"

"Forget about it," Axel shrugs, returning to his walk down the path. I catch him by his wrist, effectively stopping him. I squeeze my eyes shut, my head hanging.

"I'm sorry, Axel," I apologize, choking back the tears I don't know why would be spilled.

"It's fine. You're straight, I get it," he shrugs, turning away from me and continuing his walk. "Sorry to confuse you."

I shake my head, catching his hand again. I bite my bottom lip, leaning closer to the redhead. He turns around slowly his eyes widened slightly.

"It's not that, Axel. I…I know I'm not straight, but I've never…tried dating a guy before. I'm not sure…I mean, I don't," I stutter, trying to sort out all of my feelings in just a sentence. Deciding that no words will be able to explain it, I just sigh. "I don't know what to do."

There's a long silence between us, my eyes locked on our still intertwined hands, Axel's locked on me. Placing a hand on the back of my head, he pulls me into a close hug.

"It's okay that you don't know, Rox," he whispers softly. "I can wait for you to figure it out."

No. That's not what I want. I know how Axel feels about me, I can't stand it staying one-sided the way it is. I lean my head in close to his, propping myself onto my toes just go get our lips closer. Stumbling back slightly in surprise, I grab the collar of his jacket to stop him. Before he can protest, can ask what I'm thinking, I claim his lips for my own.

He doesn't respond right away out of shock, eyes widened and locked on my own eyes, now beginning to flutter closed in bliss. I admit to this being my first kiss so I'm probably not giving him much of a great experience, but Axel moans slightly in the kiss as he finally joins me. He wraps his fingers gently into my hair. Axel probes my bottom lip with his tongue, surprising me. Instead of taking things any further, I break off the kiss in a smile.

"Well that was unexpected," Axel smiles, his forehead leaned against mine. My smile refuses to falter as I wrap my arms gently around his waist, pulling him a little closer to me.

"It was a spontaneous decision," I tease, leaning my head against his shoulder. Axel's entire body seems to radiate heat despite the frigid air surrounding us, his scent is intoxicating. These little things are huge red flags, all saying that I think I really might be falling for him.

"Hey Rox?"

"What's up, Axel?"

There's a brief silence as Axel's smirk returns to its usual position. "I think you need to be this spontaneous more often." Groaning at the cheesiness, I flick him straight on the nose before leading him back to my house by the hand.

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**Smooth, Axel. Really smooth.**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter. I pumped it out in only a couple days, so I hope it lives up to all of your expectations! I, personally, think it came out rather well. Anyway, thank you for reading! Check out my other stories, like it, and PLEASE REVIEW? The hug-giving walrus in a tux and top-hat is now serving cyber-cookies on a platter of solid gold and riding a unicorn. So review and he'll hug you, serve you a cyber-cookie, and let you pet his unicorn.**

**I need serious help, don't I?**


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